How Did She Know?
by tanikara kohitsuji
Summary: Sasuke reflects on a conversation with an old teammate after he kills Itachi. Something she said is bothering him now... why'd she say that.
1. Chapter 1

Itachi's dead. Sasuke knows this. He did it. His life goal reached. He got his revenge. But then… why isn't he happier? Even if his brother was ordered to do it, shouldn't he at least feel an ounce of satisfaction that he accomplished something?

But no. All he feels is anger. Hate toward the village that he once called home. He's bitter and now he just wants to teach them a lesson. Show them that the Uchiha clan may be wiped out but they are still a force to be reckoned with.

As Sasuke walks, he can suddenly hear a voice he hasn't heard in months, echoing through his head.

"I know about your clan, Sasuke." An annoying, teary-eyed kunoichi with petal pink hair. Trying to talk him out of leaving. "I do."

And he's walking a little faster now, as if he outrun the memory replaying in his mind. The voice, the eyes, the tears that haunt him to this day. Festering in the back of his memories all the time. Until all he can think of when he says goodbye is Sakura crying softly in the moonlight.

He still feels that chill go down his spine, his heart flinch at the thought of his clan. Just like he did that night. How did she know? How had she found out? And how much did she know? He didn't like the thought of her being that close to him, knowing about his dark past.

Sakura shouldn't be involved in such corruption. She was a cherry blossom, pure and sweet. She shouldn't dirty herself with the stains of his life.

"It's seeking revenge."

He still is he realizes as he keeps walking. He still wants revenge. It's just the victim of his revenge that's changed. He killed the actual perpetrator only to learn that he was just a puppet. So the actual murderer had been killed. But the ones responsible… they were still alive.

He would get his revenge too. He lived for it once; he could do it again. What did Sakura know of revenge? She didn't! She didn't know a damn thing about it! She should've minded her own business. Annoying.

He's stomping along now, each footfall smashing stupid Sakura into the ground. He's an avenger. He knows what he's doing. He'll show that Sakura. Once he's killed them, he'll have finished his vengeance.

"That won't bring anyone happiness," Sakura whispers in his mind. Why can't he get her out of his head?

He knows what she's going to say next! He knows so why can't he stop the memory from replaying. It's like seeing his sins dragged out in front of him. Every heart he broke when he left, it's all concentrated in her. Those green eyes are still reproaching him every day. Taunting him with all the things he's done wrong.

All the times he let her get hurt when he should have protected her. In the chunin exams when he let Orochimaru put that genjutsu on both of them. He'd seen her shaking after that, trembling like a leaf. His fragile cherry blossom had been terrified after seeing God knows what. He suspected it was his death. He didn't know.

Then a day or so later, letting her get beaten bloody while he fought a fever. Sure it was a fever from the curse mark. But still, he should have been there for her. Teammates, right?

"Nobody at all." She paused here, he recalls before continuing. "Not you."

He clenches his teeth in annoyance. How had she known? How had she known that he wouldn't be satisfied after killing Itachi? Had she known that the village ordered it? Or did she just know that revenge never gave you that feeling of pride in a job well done?

How had the innocent cherry blossom known that? How had she figured it out?

"And not me."

He stopped, contemplating. Would she hate him now? For killing the village elders for their crimes. Or would she approve. Would she say this revenge was worth it? That now he could be satisfied

Sasuke isn't sure. But he's going to find out soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2

She's frozen, wanting so badly to move, but so scared to move as well.

"Sasuke…kun," she finally whispers, just like she did that day at the base.

But this time there's no reply from him. Only dead silence.

"Why are you here?" her voice cracks pitifully at the end, belying the pain, still so raw, so close to the surface.

"For revenge," he answers succinctly.

She closes her eyes and a scoff of laughter crosses her lips. "Of course. Why am I not surprised? After all that's all you ever think about."

She scuffs a foot, seeking a better stance. "So who are you getting revenge on this time?" she asks, tugging her glove on better. "Naruto? Kakashi? Tsunade-shishou?"

"The council."

She stills then. He knew. He had finally found out the truth. "So you know," she says quietly.

She hears his sharp intake of air. "Oh, yes. I knew," she replies quickly, still in that quiet voice.

Sakura can feel his glare on her, but she forces herself to ignore it. "I tried… I tried to warn you…"

He flash-stepped in front of her and thrust her back into the wall. "You knew?! And you didn't tell me?"

His arms pinned across her windpipe, cutting off her air supply. She feels the tears leaking out of her eyes.

"You… wouldn't… be…lieve," she managed to choke out.

"So that gave you the right to lie?!"

He didn't expect an answer for that one, she knew. Just like he had been sometimes. She could still read his expression easily.

"Where are they?!" He watched calmly as she began to turn blue. Sakura shook her head slightly, indicating her refusal to speak.

His eyes bled red, and shifted into six red orbitals on a black background. "Where's the council, Sakura?"

She opened her eyes slightly. "I'm not a traitor like you," she rasped, green eyes hard.

He gritted his teeth and closed his left eye. Their gazes locked, and her eyes went wide as he loosened his grip slightly.

"Tsukuyomi," he whispered as her body slumped down the wall, her mind trapped in his genjutsu.

* * *

Sasuke looked about the black and white world of his nightmares. As he looked about, he caught sight of Sakura. He just stood there, an observer as her worst nightmares came to life about her.

Trees rustled against the sky as the washed out pinkette stood on a cobblestone road.

"Don't go!" she shrieked, no longer thirteen but nearly sixteen. "If you go, I'll scream--!"

A younger version of himself vanished from before her, to appear at her back.

"Sakura…"

She sucked in a breath as the trees waved in a breeze.

"Thank you."

The real Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the scene looped back to the start.

"Don't go!" This time she tried to grab his hand. Her hand passed through air as the mirage vanished to whisper in her ear.

"Stop it!" she shouted as the third round of it began. "Please!"

Sasuke felt his heart weaken slightly at that word. Please. But he watched the scene play out again. The memory he couldn't forget haunted her as well. Did she understand what he had meant by those two words he had whispered into the night?

"Please!" her broken cry interrupted his contemplation. She was on her knees now. "Please, stop."

Abruptly, the world shifted around them. White splashes of blood splattered against the ground, up against the sky. And an all too familiar body hit the ground before him.

Sakura didn't move now, just watched with horrified eyes as her beloved was slain over and over and over in front of her. Her mouth moved in horrified whispers, but not a word passed over her lips.

Then the one thing he couldn't stand leaked out of her eye. A single tear spilled down her cheek before splashing to the ground. With it, the genjutsu broke, leaving Sasuke panting from the exertion. He glanced down to see the now colorful head below him.

The pinkette's mouth still whispered unheard words, her mind still lost to him.

He stared at her, horror sinking in as another tear slid down her porcelain skin. "Sakura."

She didn't respond as two more watery jewels fell unchecked.

"Sakura!" He hadn't meant to do this. Not to her. She wasn't supposed to be like this.

"_Don't go!" _

He grabbed her shoulders as his eyes returned to their normal onyx. "Sakura!" He gave them a gentle shake. "Can you hear me?"

He caught the whispered words then. "He's not here. It's just a trick. He's gone. Somebody stop him. He's not here. It's just a trick," she repeated over and over as the tears fell from her eyes.

"Sakura, snap out of it!" He felt sick then. What had he done? Kami, what had he done to her?

All in the damned pursuit of revenge.

"_And not me."_

He slid a trembling hand hesitantly over her cheek. His broken, dying cherry blossom now. How could he have brought her to this?

Her worst fantasies… he'd never considered them being of him. And worse, he'd realized she hadn't figured out the truth of his words. How many nights had she lain awake trying to decipher that message?

But could he blame her for not knowing?

She may understand the hollow satisfaction of pride, but obviously his subtle words were a mystery too great for her.

"Thank you" for loving me.

"Thank you" for saving me.

"Thank you" for trying.

"Thank you" for everything…

* * *

Sakura tried to convince herself that this was all fake. A cheap illusion. She knew it. But it didn't keep the wounds on her hear from tearing wide open for everyone to see. See how weak she was, how hurt she still was over something from her childhood.

What a self-fulfilling prophesy she had uttered. His damn pursuit of revenge was going to drive her insane… because she knew the truth and stood in his way.

"_It won't make anyone happy… And not me…"_

She could feel the tears on her cheeks, hot and acidic as they spilled over. Barely had they started, then she felt a rough, hesitant hand steal across her cheek, trying to wipe them away. She knew whose hand it was.

"I'm… sorry," he whispered, reaching through all her memories to reach her.

And with those two words, she finds that all the horrors of that world are banished, sent back to where they belong, the world of nightmares. Where she would deal with them in good time.

"You are?" she asked quietly.

He looked in her green eyes, cleared of the clouds of memory, and almost smiled. For him, it was at least. The slight upward turn of the lips, barely even there. He nodded.

Sakura realized then that she had been holding the past against him. Hated him for leaving her. But she also realized it was time to let it go. So she told him how.

"My grandfather told me." At his obviously (to her) confused expression, she explained. "My grandfather told me the truth of what happened to your family. He died before you left. We cleaned out his things and I found his journal. It had everything in there."

"So you knew…"

She nodded at the unspoken part.

He sighed. "Then you know why I have to do this."

"No. I don't," she answered. "You don't have to do this. You're choosing to do this. Just like you chose to leave."

They were both quiet then, remembering a night years ago of broken hearts.

"It meant more," he said finally.

She nodded slightly. "I know you meant more."

"You were right," he admitted. "Revenge… it doesn't fill the void."

She hugged him then, gently enfolding him in her arms. "I know."

**The End**

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* * *

A/N: I am not, read NOT!, doing another sequel for this oneshot. If you want more to this story line, use your imaginations. I'm out of ideas for it. I hope all you reviewers who requested a second piece enjoy this. Personally, I like the first piece better but I hope I cleared up unanswered questions. And the whole grandfather thing was made up. It would be cool though. And now that this is done, I can move on to my other pieces! Reviews are love!**


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